Jordan Javier brings LA’s Mexican flavors to Badgers fans | MADISON MAGAZINE

Jordan Javier’s culinary career began with burgers and hot dogs — first flipping patties at In-N-Out Burger, then at LA’s Dodger Stadium.

“I was the one making the hot dogs, and I worked my way up to running Stadium Club, a members-only restaurant at the [LA] venue,” says Javier, who moved to Wisconsin seven years ago to work at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Javier likes to bring the “wow” factor (think chocolate bacon on a stick, an upcoming menu item for the 2025 football season) to his work at Camp Randall, where he’s the concessions executive sous chef through Levy Restaurants — a food and beverage service contracted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Javier is adding items like tacos, quesadillas, elote (Mexican street corn) and nachos to the Camp Randall menu.

“I definitely bring the LA out here,” he says, noting the Latin influence on food in California. He also draws from his love of fair food to create concession stand dishes like a mac-and-cheese burger called the Mac 10.

While adding more cheese to his food has been a learning curve, brats are a Midwest dish Javier’s been eager to embrace. “I’ve become a brat connoisseur,” Javier says. –Emma Waldinger

Summer Must-Do

Checking out all the state parks. One thing I love about the Midwest is the four seasons. The weather dictates the mood of the city. If it’s nice, people are nice. They’re waving at you. Everybody wants to be out. Going to state parks out here, it’s beautiful.

Job Swap

Let me be one of the football players. I would be an athlete or a coach. … I want to see it on their side.

Illustration source: Getty

Clocked Out

Video games. I’m a video game dad. I’ve got my desk and my cup of tea.

Illustration source: Getty

Fire Food

What we call “shut-up chicken” at Estacion Inka on University Avenue. It’s Peruvian chicken. Literally, you don’t say anything when you’re eating this chicken. You literally just sit there, you shut up and you eat this chicken. The cilantro rice is “shut-up cilantro rice,” too.

Madison Miss

Filipino food. [There’s] only Filipino food at my house [in Madison]. That’s why I call my mother. Ain’t no Filipino joints out here.

Kitchen Essential

I’d have to say my Apple Watch is a pretty key essential so I can be quick and on the go. I know when I go to leave my house and I don’t have it, I do the “Macarena” [dance]. Like, did I bring it?

Fun Facts

I mowed the lawn for the first time when I was 40 when I moved [to Wisconsin] because I never owned a yard. I had never seen snow fall until I moved out [to Milwaukee] seven years ago. That was pretty crazy. [And] I don’t know how to swim. I’m from the islands; it’s wild.

Illustration source: Getty

Emma Waldinger is food editor at Madison Magazine.